Trial runs before a distillery launches its first spirit

Why trials come before launch

A still is a heated vessel full of flammable liquid and vapour. A new team, a new plant and a first commercial batch is a bad combination. Trial runs separate the learning from the selling.

They also give you your own data. Every still behaves a little differently: how fast it heats, how it refluxes, where the heads end and the hearts begin. You cannot read that from a brochure.

Stage one: dry checks and water runs

Start with checks that use no spirit at all. Pressure-test vessels and lines for leaks. Confirm that valves, gauges, thermometers and safety devices work. Run water through the heating and cooling circuits and check flow, temperature rise and condenser performance.

Clean everything and check that the cleaning routine actually reaches every surface. Sort out electrical and earthing checks with a qualified engineer before any spirit is present. Rules on safety approvals differ by place, so involve the competent authority early.

Stage two: a low-value first distillation

Run a first distillation on a cheap, low-strength wash or a diluted spirit that has no commercial value. The purpose is to watch the still, not to make product.

Record heat-up time, temperatures at different points on the still, condenser water temperature, flow rates and the strength of the distillate through the run. Note how the still responds when you change heat. These records become your baseline.

This run also tests the team. Who watches the temperatures, who adjusts the heat, who collects samples and who takes the notes? Assign the jobs and swap them in later runs so the team can cover for each other.

Stage three: real product trials

Now use the real mash and fermentation. Make small batches of the spirit you plan to sell. Collect the output in small fractions and taste each one, with a panel that includes people who are not afraid to say they dislike something. Taste with water, spit cups and no pressure to drink.

This is how you set cut points. Heads, hearts and tails are not fixed numbers. They come from the fractions you taste and the strength and temperature records beside them. Write the cuts down with the run conditions. Repeat several times and see whether the result holds.

For gin, trial the botanical recipe on small stills or a small charge first. Our Craft Gin Making course covers the method.

Records, stock and compliance

Treat every trial as if an inspector were reading the book. Log volumes in and out, strengths and losses. Excise rules in India are state rules, so how trial spirit is recorded, stored and disposed of depends on your state and changes over time. Ask your licensing adviser before the first trial rather than after it.

Decide what happens to trial output. Some of it may be fit to sell after proper checks. Some will be redistilled. Some must be discarded. Write this down in advance.

What a healthy trial programme leaves you with

By launch you should hold a run sheet for each product, with the cuts, the conditions and the tasting notes. You should have a cleaning and safety routine the team follows without prompting. You should have measured your losses and know your real yield per kilogram of raw material, which feeds your costing. See what distillery consultancy covers for the wider picture.

We plan and attend trial runs, remotely by video call or on site by arrangement. Ankur Napa leads on the measurement, records and quality side. We do not promise a result in advance. We make sure the first batch you sell is not your first batch.

Common surprises in early runs

New stills often heat more slowly than expected, so the first run takes longer than planned. Condenser water may run short on a hot afternoon. A pressure fitting may weep only when hot. None of these is a disaster when no product is at stake.

Foaming in a first wash distillation is another frequent surprise. It can carry liquid up into the column, so keep the heat gentle and keep a person at the still. Learn what your mash does before you push the throughput.

Write each surprise down with its fix. The list becomes part of your training sheet.

Common questions

How many trial runs does a new distillery need?

There is no fixed number. Plan several. Stop when your cuts, yield and records repeat from run to run.

Should trial spirit be sold?

Only if it meets your quality specification and your state rules allow it. Ask your licensing adviser before you plan for it.

Can trials be supervised remotely?

Part of it can: planning, data review and tasting notes by video call. We suggest an on-site visit by arrangement for the first real distillations.